1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packing hold structure for holding a packing within a packing storage groove formed in a seal end face.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
Now, FIG. 4 shows a waterproof connector 1 which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 7-226256 and employs a conventional packing hold structure. In FIG. 4, the waterproof connector 1 comprises a male connector housing 2, and a female connector housing 4 including a hood portion 3 with which the male connector housing 2 can be fitted. In the outer periphery of the male connector housing 2, there are provided packings 5 respectively on the leading and trailing end sides in the fitting direction thereof. In particular, in the conventional-packing hold structure, while the male connector housing 2 is fitted with the interior portion of the hood portion 3 of the female connector housing 4, the packings 5 are held by and between the outer periphery of the male connector housing 2 and the inner surface of the hood portion 3 while they are in close contact with them, whereby the interior portions of terminal storage chambers 6 formed in the male connector housing 2 can be made waterproof.
In the thus structured waterproof connector 1, in the outer periphery of the male connector housing 2, there are formed packing storage grooves 7 each having a concave-shaped section, and the packings 5 each having a circular-shaped section are respectively stored within the packing storage grooves 7 in such a manner that they project from the outer periphery of the male connector housing 2 by a given height. And, the projecting portions of the packing storage grooves 7 provide seal surfaces 5a which can be closely contacted with the inner walls 3a of the hood portion 3; that is, the seal surfaces 5a prevent water from invading into between the male connector housing 2 and the inner surfaces 3a of the hood portion 3.
However, in the above-mentioned waterproof connector 1, when bringing the male connector housing 2 into fit with the interior portion of the hood portion 3, since the packings 5 are moved while they are in close contact with the inner surfaces 3a of the hood portion 3, the packings 5 can be removed out from the packing storage grooves 7. If the packings 5 are removed out from the packing storage grooves 7, then the packings 5 are not held in their normal or proper conditions between the male connector housing 2 and the inner walls 3a of the hood portion 3, so that the waterproof performance of the waterproof connector 1 is badly degraded.
Also, in the case of such butt packings as shown in FIG. 5 which are used to prevent water from invading between equipment and a connector, there is a possibility that such butt packings can be removed while they are being carried before they are installed to the equipment.
To avoid this, there is proposed a structure in which, as shown in FIG. 6, a packing 9 is formed such that it includes a securing projection 9a, and a packing storage groove 10 is formed such that it includes in the bottom wall 10a thereof a securing hole 11 to which the securing projection 9a can be secured, whereby the packing 9 can be held within the packing storage groove 10.
However, in this case, when storing the packing 9 into the interior portion of the packing storage groove 10, to insert the securing projection 9a into the securing hole 11, the packing 9 must be pushed into the packing storage groove 10 with a strong force. This results in the poor efficiency of an operation to assemble the packing 9 into the packing storage groove 10.
Also, in a state where the securing projection 9a is not positively secured to the securing hole 11, because the projecting height of the packing 9 from the periphery of the opening of the storage groove 10 varies, the uniform contact of the packing 9 with its mating contact surface cannot be obtained, which degrades the waterproof performance of the packing.
Further, provision of the securing projection 9a in the packing 9 complicates the shape of the packing 9 and, therefore, a metal mold for molding the packing 9 with such securing projection 9a is also complicated in shape, which results in the expensive manufacturing cost of the packing 9.